The present invention relates to a device for reducing the widths of the windrow formed by a mower, for example a mower of the type comprising discs or drums or a belt equipped with cutting elements. These mowers may reach very great working widths and consequently form windrows which extend over great widths. Now certain agricultural machines, and especially forage harvesters, conditioners and balers for example, can handle only windrows the width of which is limited. It is thus often necessary to reduce the width of the windrows formed by mowers having great working widths, so that the fodder cut by these can be harvested conveniently.
To this end it has been proposed, especially on disc-type mowers, to install a drum at the level of the outer disc or discs of a mower. This single drum can be driven in rotation at a speed different from that of the discs, with the purpose of discharging the cut fodder towards the rear of the machine, while reducing the width of the windrow which it forms.
This arrangement displays the drawback of guiding the cut fodder over a maximum distance substantially equal to the diameter of the drum. Now the diameter of this drum is limited, otherwise it encroaches on the trajectory of the neighbouring discs, which would cause clogging phenomena harmful to the operation of a machine so equipped.
In order to increase the distance over which the cut fodder can be guided, with a view to the reduction of the widths of the windrows, then a windrowing band was used. This band passes over two drums, one of which is mounted coaxially on one of the discs of a disc-type mower. This position of the drum is in fact the most judicious so that the cut fodder may be drawn by a windrowing band passing over this drum . The said band likewise passes over a second drum the axis of which is parallel to that of the first. The second drum is located behind the discs so that the direction of the windrowing band forms an acute angle with the axes about which each of the discs rotates. The drive drum permitting the displacement of the windrowing band is fast with one of the discs. Now these discs rotate at speeds of the order of 3,000 r.p.m. Thus the drive drum is driven at the same speed. Thus the windrowing band moves very quickly, too quickly for the above-described device to function correctly since at this speed the band slips over the fodder without moving it as desired.